Essay Questions

Explain superstition in the novel Annie John.

The characters in the novel are very superstitious.Their society has traditional healers known as Obeah women. These healers spread the belief that illness or bad luck is caused by evil spirits.

There are several instances of superstition in the novel. These are the wearing of protective charms to ward off evil spirits. An example of this in the novel is when Annie was leaving for England, her bracelet was taken to an Obeah woman to be charmed. Another example of superstition is the belief that lepers cursed a place. This belief led to the avoidance of that area by the local people. The people believed that if they purchased anything from Parham, they would become lepers themselves.

Explain the steps of human growth while drawing illustrations from Annie John's life.

The novel is an autobiography of Annie John. Her life is narrated from when she was a toddler to when she went to pursue higher education. The story is an illustration of the growth process of young girls in Antigua.

Annie John was born into an average family and as such, she was able to attend school. When she was a young girl, her mother would teach her all the house chores. She learnt gender roles from her mother. As she grew older, she moved to a more advanced school to learn core subjects such as science.

When Annie reached teen age, she started criticizing her environment. As a result, her relationship with her mother was strained because they no longer agreed on the same principles. She then had a desire to study in England to become a nurse. She left Antigua for England and vowed to never return.